2026 Candidate Questionnaire

In 2026, Montgomery County voters will elect a new County Executive and eleven members of the County Council. We reached out to each registered candidate to ask how they will approach housing affordability, zoning, public transit, and community input if elected.

The primary election will take place on June 23, 2026. The general election will take place on November 3, 2026.

Read responses from 2026 candidates for Montgomery County Executive and Montgomery County Council below!

Note: As part of a 501(c)3 non-profit, Montgomery for All and the Coalition for Smarter Growth are non-partisan organizations and do not make endorsements. The responses are shared for informational purposes only, and not to endorse or oppose any candidate. 

County Executive
Andrew Friedson (D)
Arian Borghei (R) — no response
Esther Wells (R)
Evan Glass (D)
Mithun Banerjee (D) — no response
Peter James (D)
Shelley Skolnick (R) — no response
Will Jawando (D)

County Council District 1
Debbie Spielberg (D)
Drew Morrison (D)
Julie Yang (D) — no response
Reardon "Sully" Sullivan (R) — no response

County Council District 2
Marilyn Balcombe (D) — no response

County Council District 3
Allison Eriksen (D)
Izola Shaw (D)
Jud Ashman (D)
Ricky Fai Mui (R) — no response

County Council District 4
Kate Stewart (D)
Paula Bienenfeld (D) — no response
Peter "Rocky" Whitesell (D)

County Council District 5
Charles Kirchman (D) — no response
Josephine Salazar (R) — no response
Kristin Mink (D) — no response

County Council District 6
Louella Tham (R) — no response
Natali Fani-González (D)
Sonia A. Garcia (D) — no response

County Council District 7
Dawn Luedtke (D)
Harold Maldonado (R)
Sharif Hidayat (D) — no response
Van Free (D)

County Council At Large
Dana E. Gassaway (D)
Fatmata Barrie (D)
Hamza Khan (D) — no response
Jeremiah Pope (D) — no response
Jim McNulty (D)
Josie Caballero (D) — no response